1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

groundbreaking

adjective

Definition of groundbreakingnext
as in innovative
introducing new ideas or methods She was honored for her groundbreaking work in nuclear physics. a groundbreaking new book

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of groundbreaking The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved a groundbreaking pancreatic cancer drug that experts predict will transform treatment for the notoriously deadly disease. — Erika Edwards, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2026 Dolly Parton, one of the most groundbreaking and successful musicians in the history of country music, with a hitmaking career that spanned six decades and launched her into TV and movie stardom, died Tuesday after a brief cancer battle. — Faris Tanyos, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026 Priced at $899, these headphones boast a groundbreaking three-way hybrid driver architecture, integrating dynamic, planar-magnetic, and balanced armature drivers for exceptional audio fidelity. — Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026 Upon discovering that a nurse at the clinic was stealing vast amounts of fentanyl, Gabby seeks out other victims and leads a groundbreaking legal battle against Yale University. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for groundbreaking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for groundbreaking
  1. innovative
  2. creative
  3. original
  4. novel
  5. clever
  6. fresh
Adjective
  • But mindless problem-solving with an AI bandage will not create truly distinctive, or even truly innovative, organizations.
    — Robbie Morrison, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Both were in their thirties, and saw themselves as innovative leaders cutting through hidebound bureaucracies.
    — Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of innovative
Adjective
  • Leo July 23 – August 22 A personal experience could become useful material for something creative.
    — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Discussions are expected to address creative and personal development, family planning and questions surrounding who is responsible for archiving sapphic history.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of creative
Adjective
  • A student there named John-Michael Tebelak wrote the book for the show as his master’s thesis, with original songs provided by his friends.
    — Victor Garber, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
  • My favorite for proximity and—ambiance—is Williamsburg, which is the original location.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of original
Adjective
  • Nobel Laureate for chemistry, Max Perutz, pointed out that natural icebergs were neither big enough nor stable enough to do the job safely, leaving Pyke to consider novel ways to turn water into a novel building material.
    — Mike McRae September 16, New Atlas, 16 Sep. 2026
  • But the Current development team offered a novel approach for their financing plan.
    — Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of novel
Adjective
  • But the clever props design (Bruce Dickinson and Anna Kraus) fills in any shoestring gaps.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Mathematicians have cooked up all sorts of clever error-correcting codes (not all based on sphere packing) for varied applications.
    — Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of clever
Adjective
  • But with the newer franchises, the deepest wounds are still fresh, so unlike Kim Zolciak and Nene, opposing parties in those cities are having a harder time celebrating the sisterhood of it all.
    — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Back then, Canales was a fresh-faced teenager who was seen as the future of Spanish football.
    — David Ornstein, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of fresh

Browse Nearby Words

groundbreakers
groundbreaking
groundburst
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Groundbreaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/groundbreaking. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of volition

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All